Kota Semarang

Travelling to Semarang with low expectations earlier in the month, Jeremiah was pleasantly surprised by what Semarang had to offer. This quiet city of 1.5 million people, while prone to floods, is reasonably well-organised with quite a bit to offer, such as the Old City, Sam Po Kong Temple (monument to Cheng Ho), Gereja Blenduk (a church that is the oldest building in the city), Stasiun Tawang (oldest railway station in Java) and the quite decent provincial musuem, Museum Ronggowarsito.

The shopping and food were awesome too. Lots of factory outlets, though not as many as in Bandung. Local food specialities include Bandeng Presto (milk fish)and Lumpia Semarang (spring roll with bamboo shoots filling) etc. The Lumpia that Jeremiah bought in Semarang was expensive (US$11 for 10 pieces) but good, so much so that even though they were meant as a gift, Jeremiah finished them all by himself.

Enjoy the photos.

 Gereja Blenduk

The General Post Office in Semarang

 Street scene outside one of the main traditional markets

View of the Old City
 

View of the Old City from further away 

Depiction of the War of Independence at Museum Ronggowarsito

Replica of the Indonesian Declaration of Independence on display

A guide to how the puppets used in wayang kulit are made.

Candi Prambanan

A less well-known cousin of Candi Borobudur, Candi Prambanan is a UNESCO world heritage site situated about half an hour away from Kota Yogjakarta.  Built some fifty years from Candi Borobudur, this complex is a shrine to the Hindu gods (unlike Borobudur, which is a Buddhist monument).  The three main temples in the Candi Prambanan complex were supposed to be surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of smaller temples, but unfortunately most of destroyed during the earthquake that hit Yogjakarta in 2006.  Reconstruction is proceeding slowly but surely.

 

 
The weather changed fast.  Ten minutes ago, it was clear skies.  Carry a umbrella or face the wrath of the gods.

SPGs Wanted

This advertisement recruiting SPGs appeared in yesterday's "Bernas Jojga", a local newspaper in Yogjakarta.

The ad roughly translates to:

Job Opportunity
Two Everlasting Partners Pte Ltd needs SPGs

Criteria
Woman, Single
Maximum age: 25
Completed senior high school
Proportional Body Weight
Attractive Appearance


Facilities (Provided)
Class Training
No additional expenses whatsoever


Reading the ad, Jeremiah wondered if they were recruiting Sarong Party Girls or Sales Promotion Girls.  After some reflection, he thought that they were probably recruiting the latter, given the senior high school requirement.

A Monument to Cheng Ho

Tucked away in a suburb southwest of central Semarang is Sam Po Kong (三宝宫), a temple complex dedicated to the worship of Ming Admiral Cheng Ho （郑和）.  According to some local beliefs, after making landfall, Cheng Ho established a mosque on the site of now what is a temple complex dedicated to him.

 

Also known locally as Gedung Batu (Stone Building), the highlight of the complex is a cave temple with a statue of the Admiral decorated with glitzy lights.  Perhaps this is a reflection of the Javanese fascination with sacred caves.  A clear example of the Javanese influence on the architecture can be seen from the curvature of the roofs.  There are also miniature animals nestled on the roof though Jeremiah is not sure what those animals are for.  Nonetheless, All hail the Chief.

A Little Taste of Singapore

Semarang unexpectedly turned out to be a welcome relief for the homesick Jeremiah.  There is something about the city that resembles Singapore.  A port city and the most "Cinaised" city in Indonesia, the streets in Semarang are well laid-out and not overflowing with street vendors.  The sidewalks are among the best in Singapore.  Factory outlets and malls are plentiful.  Chinese food (read: pork), and even Teochew dishes are are readily available.  So too are hotels and food associated with Singapore (see below), though Jeremiah did not venture to try them out.

The Odyssey

Bitten by the travel bug, Jeremiah embarked on a road trip from Yogjakarta, the soul of Java, to Semarang, the economic and provincial capital of Central Java, some 100 km away.  Depending on who you ask, Semarang is either a boring industrial city or a great chill-out port city.  But the journey from Yogjakarta to Semarang was definitely a gem in itself.

Taking 3.5 hours and costing US$5 on the luxurious (by Indonesian standards) Joglosemar Executive Shuttle, the journey brought Jeremiah through meandering volcanic valleys, padi fields, as well as the heartland of central Java.  From humming towns to simple kampungs, Jeremiah could see Indonesians going about in their daily activities, be it laying cables, plucking tea leaves or feeding their babies.

Here's some photos.  Sorry for the limited range of photos.  It was a Friday afternoon and after a long week, Jeremiah was a little slow with his camera.

Avoiding Doublespeak

Jeremiah had been a frequent user of a particular line of travel guide books.  Of late, he has become quite disappointed with that line's book on Indonesia, which fell short both in substance and in style.  It was with great trepidation that Jeremiah read in detail on the 4-hr journey from Yogjakarta to Semarang the write-up on Semarang:

Semarang's richly atmospheric old city is the highlight of any visit.  Sadly, most of the area's tremendous stock of colonial buildings are in an advanced state of decay, seemingly unloved and left to rot by the city authorities"

This is but a roundabout of saying that Semarang is not worth a visit.  They could have been more direct and avoided the doublespeak!  But Semarang has so far turned out to be awesome.  The guidebook failed to highlight the factory outlets that are everywhere in Semarang.  Within an hour of his arrival, Jeremiah has shopped to his heart's content.  This is a testimony to the quality of shopping in Semarang for everyone who knows Jeremiah is aware how difficult he can be when it comes to shopping. 

Hopefully, Jeremiah's adventures tomorrow would turn out to be better than suggested by that guide book.  Stay turned on this page.